BJP MP Bandaru Dattatreya fails to get a Cabinet berth

Hyderabad: Senior BJP MP from Telangana, Bandaru Dattatreya, failed to get a Cabinet berth in the expansion of the Union council of ministers and had to be content with an MoS (Independent) rank, which he had held 10 years ago in the Vajpayee ministry.

Unlike a Cabinet minister,  an MoS (Independent charge) has full command over his ministry affairs. All relevant decision making files need to be sent to the Prime Minister for approval.

The MoS attends Cabinet meetings whenever an item of his ministry comes up for discussion and withdraws from the meeting once the discussion on the subject is over. Cabinet-rank ministers, however, are present in the meeting throughout and offer their views on all subjects regardless of their portfolios.

Allotment of specific departments in the ministry is entrusted to MoS by the Cabinet-rank minister. Not only that, an MoS cannot take independent decisions and all files have to go to the concerned Cabinet minister for approval.

Mr Dattatreya, meanwhile, expressed full satisfaction with his appointment as an MoS and said that he would work hard to carry out whatever ministerial responsibilities he would be entrusted with.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister  K. Chandrasekhar Rao, in a congratulatory message, stated that he hoped that Mr Dattatreya would do full justice to Telangana and ensure full flow of funds from the Centre. Mr Rao has also indicated a felicitation to Mr Dattatreya by the Telangana government, once he returned from New Delhi.

Mr Rao and Mr Dattatreya has had a good relationship since the formation of the state with the latter using his good offices to help Telangana, especially on the power front.

Mr Dattatreya had even met Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh a day before Mr Rao visited Raipur and had facilitated the MoU on power allotment from Chhattisgarh to Telangana.

“The appointment of Dattatreya will surely help the Telangana government in getting required clearances from the Centre. Dattatreya will act like a facilitator between the Centre and Telangana in resolving several issues. He will be useful for the state in converting it into Golden Telangana,” Mr Rao said in his message.

No preference over portfolios, says Bandaru

Secunderabad MP Bandaru Dattatreya said his earlier experience as MoS in the Vajpayee Cabinet a decade ago would come in handy in his new assignment.

“I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the confidence he has reposed on me. I had worked at the Centre as MoS under Vajpayee Ji,” he said. He also added that he had no special preference over portfolios and would accept anything that the Prime Minister allocated to him. “I will fight for the rights of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Telugu people live in both states. I will fight for both states,” he added.